I’m starting to read articles (here and here) that tie the Bears and Vikes to possible interest in the newest free agent Plaxico Burress. Yes, he’s a headache off the field and a total moron – but he’s a major headache on the field too…just ask Al Harris. Both Chicago and Minnesota could use a quality WR. And even though he’ll likely have to head to jail for a bit, I’m pretty confident Plax will come back and be very good once again. I would rate both the Vikes and Bears as having WR groups at or near the bottom of the NFL. Both teams could seriously improve their offenses by signing Plax and if one of them makes this move, I would be concerned as a Packer fan.
But the team I haven’t seen mentioned in any of this Plax talk that could perhaps benefit the most would be Detroit. In a league where creating match-up problems for defenses has become the name of the offensive game, imagine a secondary having to line up across from Calvin Johnson and Plaxico Burress. I don’t care if Duante Culpepper’s mom were QB, that would make for a long day.
packergeeks 
April 7, 2009 at 3:19 pm |
while any addition of a tall, talented wr to a nfc north opponent would be bad news — as someone forced against his will to live and commute in new york (sports talk radio accompanying), i can tell you that plax will let his off-field issues affect his play.
two years ago (when he helped them win a superbowl), he was playing for a contract. i don’t know if he was in a contract year, but he got one before last season. he proceeded to be a non-factor all season until he shot himself in the foot and didn’t play another down.
yes, i know he might still give harris trouble – but i think for whatever reason, he is harris’ kryptonite. swing woodson over and we’ll be fine.
pairing burress with cutler could prove destructive to either the bears OR their opponents. i think cutler is confident (arrogant) enough that he’d probably have the balls to tell plax to go %#& himself if he got out of hand. burress in minnesota with two unproven qb’s, throwing balls over his head — the makings of a classic viking tragedy. and i don’t think the lions exist yet.
April 7, 2009 at 3:22 pm |
i meant to insert that after the superbowl, he GOT the giant contract – undoubtedly the cause of his ineptitude during 08 – he was too busy hangin’ at the club with his un-safety’d glock tucked in his sweatpants. the man is lucky he’s got a shot-up-foot instead of a nike full of johnson residue.
April 7, 2009 at 4:23 pm |
Nice NYC perspective. I hope you’re right, I really do. I can in fact see a situation exploding if Cutler and Burress were together and Burress had a fit. That thought comforts me some.
Oh and hey, I wrote that Tarvaris post just for you Josh…
April 9, 2009 at 3:30 pm |
OK joshy–let’s see, moonshiner on a unicycle, Nike full of johnson residue—you’re getting right up there with Ron at giving me a good laugh–and believe me–the way things are with my business lately I need all of those I can get. Thanx
April 11, 2009 at 4:58 pm |
I really enjoy the blogging; thank you for taking the time to write these up. They entertain me, at least. I live in CO. There’s a few packer fans here (of course) but you know, people ridicule my adopted hometown Boulder as a ‘bubble,’ but people who are Broncos fans?… talk about living in a bubble. I live in the Broncosphere, a kind of trailer trash version of the biosphere.
What I was wondering if you’d consider addressing this in a future blog, since what happens in our division affect all of us… what are your thoughts about what stops Detroit a) if they really don’t feel that Stafford, etc. represent “true” first player taken in the draft type of talent, and then warrants a consequentially HUGE guaranteed payday and b) they don’t want to foolishly let the “clock” run out, what’s stops them from approaching a quality mid-first round prospect, like a percy harvin or brian cushing, a guy who could be between very solid to excellent on the field, a good player, but not good enough to go first, by consensus, and offer them the fame of going first, and work out a contract before the draft, paying them a little more than what spot they’d, more of less by consensus, likely would fall to, maybe pay them a couple extra million, as a little reward for playing by some new rules. In my opinion, Detroit would be making a mistake not going after one of those Tackles- who woudn’t want to solidify that position for a decade? – or maybe Curry. But what do you think? Why isn’t this option discussed? It seems like a reasonable solution to the issue for them.
I hope we get Raji, then swing Harrell – if he’s ever healthy- to DE and then boom, I think we’d suddenly have a DLine, let Kampman rush over Harrell’s shoulder while JH consumes a couple OL. That might be a total fantasy but Harrell’s got to have something to offer.
April 13, 2009 at 7:08 pm |
Dan – thanks for reading. We’ll be posting more as the draft and season approach.
You raise an interesting question. Peter King at Sports Illustrated often argues that teams shouldn’t like selecting toward the top of the draft because it’s much more expensive than mid-first rounders even – best player value is mid to late first round and early second. I like your thought of Detroit just picking another guy who isn’t expected to go as high and trying to negotiate with him. Detroit actually has from now until the draft to work something out with a player, so if they don’t have their minds set on anyone in particular, I actually don’t think your idea is a bad one.
As far as Harrell – I just don’t know. I also maintain a small bit of hope that he could at least a body we can rotate in/out, but I’m very doubtful at this point.
April 15, 2009 at 2:49 pm |
Hey thanks for the compliment. Detroit is run by such numbnuts that they won’t think of this idea, I am sure of it. And is not like I desperately want to help Detroit exactly but if you think about “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” then if Detroit actually gets better, sure they may beat us a few times, but they’ll also beat Chicago and MN, and I don’t see what’s not to like about that. thanks again, now i’ll read your latest posts!